A Florida jury on Friday found CNN guilty of defaming a US Navy veteran over a 2021 story about people being paid to rescue endangered Afghans. Taliban occupation Of that country.
A jury in Panama City, Florida, deliberated for more than eight hours Thursday before returning a verdict in favor of Zachary Young, who pleaded guilty by showing his face in a story on CNN about the “black market” of trafficking desperate Afghans. Was accused of destroying his business. For higher fees.
The jury awarded Young $5 million in damages and is now being asked to determine whether CNN must pay additional punitive damages.
It was an unusual guilty verdict against a media outlet in a defamation case. Defamation laws are generally protective of news organizations, and plaintiffs must meet a high standard to prove defamation.
Young had argued that his business targeted sponsors who could pay to escort Afghans, not individual Afghans, charging more than $10,000 for the service. While CNN said it was incorrect to use the phrase “black market”, it argued that its reporting on Young was accurate.
“I know Zach feels heard in a way he hasn't felt in over three years,” Young's attorney Devin Friedman said after the verdict.